Method of and apparatus for heating and mingling fluids



C. P. ToLMAN FiledJan. s, 1927 Sept. l, 1931.

METHOD oF ND APPARATUS FOR HEATING ANDMINGLING FLUIDs INVENTOR CHARLES 7 LHAN B I TT EY l Patented Sept. l, 1.931

.UNITED s'raras yPATENT OFFICE CHARLES P. '.LOLMAN, 0F GARDENS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 PETROLEUM.'

CONVERSION CORPORATION, YORK,.N. Y., A- CORPORATION 0F DLAWABE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND MIN'GLING FLUIDS Application led January 8, 1927. Serial No. 158,723. v

My present invention relates to the heating of fluids by mingling therewith other and heated fluids, the object of the invention being to provide a method and apparatus for such purpose wherein the Huid toA be heated may receive the desired heat content within a minimum temperature gradient or range and within a minimum time interval.

To this end I have provided in the embodiment herein disclosed means in theform of an injector for admitting the heating fluid into contact with the fluid to be heated, a stream of the. mixed fluids under relatively high velocity thereby being created. In this manner a maximum surface of contactis formed between heating and heated fiulds, which,

' however, in itself would not be adequate for zio the purpose since temperature is immediately lost by expansion. Accordingly I then add additional quantities of the heating fluid by means of other and auxiliary injectors or jets placed in the path of this moving stream,

the arrangement being such that these newly injectedstreams of heating fluids not only compensate for the heat lost by yexpansion or by other causes (as for example an endothermic reaction undergone by the fluid being heated) but add to the velocity of the moving stream. This augmented velocity I also preferably utilize to draw thereinto additional quantities of the fluids to be heated, suitable injector means being employed for this purpose. This action maybe repeated any desired number of'times, at least one auxiliary heating jet being provided for each expansion and drawing in of additional fiuid to be heated.

My invention is susceptible of varied` applications, but it is particularly adapted to the cracking of oils by the treatment and mingling therewith of a heated fluid, such as hydrocarbon gases of appropriate composition, steam, mercury vapor, etc., or mixtures be too great, either part ofthe oil will'be destroyed through overheating or else the average temperature imparted thereto may be too n I more, it is now recognized that the reaction .j of cracking is more or less independent of the pressure, so that this factor need no longer vbe given prime consideration.

By the operation of my invention the vapor of the hydrocarbon to be cracked will be so intimately mixed with the h ot fluid supplying the heat for such cracking, that substantially allof such vapor will be brought to the temperature at which it is desired to crack, within a. space of time less than the reaction time, thereby preventing the formation of cracked products corresponding to temperatures lower .than the desired cracking temperature. If the petroleum is not so heated, there 'would be formed as its temperature rose, cracked products or fractions corresponding to the various temperatures through .which the petroleum-passes while reaching stack 11, for supplying heated fluid to the thereof, and is herein described as applied to react-ion or conversion chamber 12. The latsuch use although it ist-to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto.

In the cracking of petroleum lit is of very, great importance that the heat transfer take place within a narrow range of tempera-y tures; otherwise, if the temperature gradient ter, to which the invention is particularly directed, consists'of .a chamber having therein a plurality of nozzles 13, 14, and 15 of venturi shape and of increasing size. The,v

heating luid is introduced through a primary nozzle 17, behind the flared portion of the'V "first nozzle 13, so as to form therewith an injector. Nozzle 14 occupies a position relative to nozzle 13 as does nozzle 13 with respect to primary nozzle 17. A third nozzle 15, larger than the two described, is disposed to receive the products from injector 14 in similar manner. Primary nozzle 17 is supplied with the heated fluid by means of a pipe 19 leading from the hot stove 10 or other source of heat. `Preferably also communicating with thesame source is a pipe 21 which supplies the heating fluid to auxiliary nozzles 13a and 14a. Suitable valves d and e are respectively provided in these pipes leading thereto.

Preferably I preliminarily vaporize the oil undergoing cracking and introduce the same in the form of vapor into the conversion chamber. My invention also contemplates the treatment of oil in the liquid state, but

I prefer using the oil in the vapor state, as by so doing a much more intimate mixture of oil and gas is possible. `Accordingly I provide an evaporator 23 of conventional type and admit the produced vapors into the conversion chamber by means of a pipe 24. Oil is fed into the heater by means of a pipe 25. Evaporation of the oil may be facilitated by the use of steam or neutral gases introduced thru pipe 26 as is known in the art. It is not contemplated that the conditions prevailing within the evaporator 23 will produce any substantial amount of cracking of the oil therein.

The products leaving the conversion chamber pass through a conduit 27 into a condenser 28 where the desired products are separated.

If desired various heatl exchange apparatus' may be employed to utilize the heat in the outgoing products from the conversion chamber, as is known in the art. The gaseous products are collected in a holder 30. The condensed substances from condenser 28 containing the desired products of the system are collected inthe receiver 31.

It will be understood that the preferred means for heating the heat carrying gases consists in a suitable number of blast stoves of conventional type, although of course my invention is not necessarily limited t0 this particular mode of heating the gases. In the operation of the apparatus shown, a stove s is suitably brought up to temperature by blasting in the usual manner, i. e. by means of oil or producer gas, etc., after which the gases to constitute the heat carrier are led therethrough by a pipe not shown and hence through the pipe 19 to the conversion chamber. As previously stated the invention does not depend upon any specic type of carrier gas, this being determined by the facility of heating such gases and by the specific effect desired upon the oil. Thus I may use steam entirely; or the lighter hydrocarbon gases which, after severe heating yield large quantities of hydrogen; or mixtures of s team and these gases; or other gases of an-entlrely neutral character such as nitrogen; or I may usev mercury vapor which, however, would require a different form of superheater. Furthermore my invention permits treatment of the oil or other substance by different fluid media during the process. As shown nozzles 13a and 14a may be fed by pipes 13b and 146 respectively and thus independently of vapor pipe 19. For this purpose, appropriate valves are provided as shown. In this manner, the oil vapor may be successively subjectcd to the action of hot hydrocarbon gas, mercury Vapor or steam if such is desired. In addition, valve 19a in pipe 19 and pipe 19?) leading thereinto allow of feeding a hot fluid into the conversion chamber l2 from a different source.

Accordingly various changes may be made in the carrying out of my improved process from what is specifically disclosed herein without departing-from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims. By th'e term oil as used in the claims, I intend to include the vapor as well as the liquid form, unless the context will not admit of this construction.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for heating liuids comprising a chamber, means for admitting a fiuid .to be heated thereto, injector means in said chamber for admitting the heating iuid whereby to create a stream of said mixed fluids of relatively high velocity, injector means in the path of said stream utilizing the velocity thereof to draw into said stream additional quantities of the fluid to be heated and auxiliary injector means in line with said means last mentioned for admitting additional quantities of heating fluid into said stream, said injector means last mentioned being disposed so as to augment the injector action of said stream.-

2. Themethod of cracking hydrocarbon compounds which consists in injecting into a body of said compounds by means of an injector device, a gaseous heat carrier fluid having a temperature in excess of the desired cracking temperature whereby to create a moving stream of the fluid mixture, immediately employing the velocity of the said stream in a further injector device to draw `into said stream further quantities ofthe cracking temperature Wherebyjto createv a moving stream of the vHuid mixture, and

immediately employing the'velocit'y of said stream in a further injector device to draw into said stream further' quantities. of the compounds from said region to be cracked.

4. The method of cracking,r hydrocarbon compounds which consists in first Vaporizing said compounds Without causing them to undergo any substantial amount of cracking, introducing said vaporized compounds into 'a confined region, injecting into said region by means of an injector device a gaseous heat carrier fluid having a temperature in excess of the desired cracking temperature whereby tovcreate amoving stream ot' the fluid mix-v ture, and immediately employingr the velocity of said stream in a: further injector device to draw 'intosaid stream furtliel'quantities of the .compounds to be cracked.

The method of cracking hydrocarbon. compounds Which consists in introducing said compounds into a confined region, injecting into said region by means of an injector device a gaseous heat carrier fluid having a temperature'in excess of the desired cracking temperature whereby to create a moving stream of the Huid mixture, immediately employing the velocity of said stream in a further injector device to draw into said stream further quantitiespf the compounds to be cracked and assisting the injector action of said stream of the Huid mixture by introducing therein an auxiliary stream of said carrier iuid.

6. In an apparatus for 'heating iuids, a f

chamber, means for admitting thereto a fluid to b e heated, a` plurality of injector nozzles -in line with one another such that the stream of uids issuing from one nozzle operates the succeeding nozzle and serves to draw addi# tional Huid from said-chamberftherein, and means for admitting a heat carrier fluid to the first of said nozzles and auxiliary injector means for admitting auxiliary streams of heating fluid to said subsequent nozzles.

In testimony whereof` I have affixed my signatureto this specification. P. TOLMAN: 

